Portable consumer electronic devices can be exposed to various liquids from splashes, spills, submersion or even perspiration from user. To address these issues, manufactures often design the enclosures with waterproof features, such as sealants and gaskets around buttons, switches, moving parts and parting lines of the enclosures.
One of the consequences of providing a waterproof seal, however, is that the water-tight seal can also create an air-tight seal that prevents air from passing between an internal cavity that houses internal components and the external environment. Over time, this can create pressure differences between the internal cavity and external environment. In turn, this can create pressure build-up within the enclosure that could potentially affect the structural integrity of the enclosure. Additionally, any moisture trapped within the internal cavity can condense onto internal electronic components, causing shorting and malfunction of the electronic device. What is needed, therefore, are waterproof enclosure designs that allow for venting and equalizing of air pressures, especially within the confined small spaces of many modern portable electronic devices.